SEATTLE, JAN. 27: Do you commute to work in Seattle or attend events in Seattle like ballgames or concerts? Get ready for another version of Revive I-5 that is going to create significant traffic congestion for the next three years.
Biggest Revive I-5 Project yet
This Revive I-5 project is the largest to date and part of an overall rehabilitation of the freeway from Yesler in downtown Seattle to Northgate, an eight-mile stretch.
Ed Kane of the Washington State Department’s Northwest Region said, “During the next three years on an 8-mile section of I-5 between Yesler and Northgate, we’ll repair and repave the Lake Washington Ship Canal Bridge and the southbound Lakeview Viaduct between the Ship Canal and Denny Way. We’ll also replace some worn-out concrete panels on southbound I-5 between Yesler and the Ship Canal, repave about 30 on and off ramps between the Ship Canal and Northgate, and replace several bridge expansion joints.”
The first big step in this project is the long-awaited and needed Ship Canal Bridge resurfacing.
Kane said, “Beginning in March 2025, the northbound Ship Canal Bridge will reduce to two to three lanes of traffic. We’ll have concrete barriers set up and we’ll be working on the other two lanes of the bridge. The express lanes will be open northbound the entire time.”
Year One – Ship Canal Bridge Northbound I-5 – Beginning in March
Starting in March, the northbound lanes of the freeway’s Ship Canal Bridge will be down to two lanes for up to nine months as crews resurface the bridge deck. The bridge was built in the mid-1960s, and this project will be the first total resurfacing of the pavement in about 60 years. Additional repairs to the bridge will be completed at the same time.
Once finished, crews will shift to the other side of the bridge deck. In the meantime, the reversible lanes will remain in the northbound direction full-time. That means southbound traffic will remain on the main line. If afternoons and evenings are any indication, southbound traffic will feel sluggish with stop and go pressure with greater frequency throughout each day.
2026 – Ship Canal Bridge Southbound I-5
Once the northbound lane resurfacing is done late this year, the focus will shift to the southbound lanes in 2026.
“In spring into June [of 2026], we’ll reduce southbound I-5 to two lanes from the ship canal bridge down to Denny Way,” Kane said. “We’ll reopen all lanes in June for the World Cup events, so there won’t be any lane restrictions at that time. Our contractor will return in July, set the lane closure back up, and work into the fall.”
More Revive I-5 Work in 2027
Once the Ship Canal Bridge resurfacing is done, more work is slated for 2027. “In spring 2027, right through the fall, the contractor will have two lanes closed and two lanes open again on southbound I-5, this time from the ship canal bridge to Mercer,” Kane said. “Again, the express lanes will be open southbound the entire time.”
On top of the freeway resurfacing efforts, this project will also include paving several ramps along the stretch, most to be completed involving closures during nights and weekends. In addition, I-5 itself will need weekend closures in one direction so work zones can be established and dismantled when done.
Why Now?
The decision to undertake this huge project was not taken lightly. The freeway’s age going back to the mid-1960s and the frequency of emergency repairs led to this decision. The Ship Canal Bridge alone has had nearly 50 emergency repairs from August 2022 through 2023, and close to 200 such emergency repairs since 2019.
“To complete this work as quickly as possible, we’re allowing our contractor to close two lanes of I-5 in one direction for up to nine months a year,” Kane explained. “This is the most efficient and safest way to get the work done. It provides a safe work zone for the people doing the work and allows for daytime work, which is the most efficient way to do the work.”
I-5 Traffic Disruptions – Plan Ahead
This three year project is going to have a major impact on drivers who use the freeway along the stretch between Northgate and Yesler. “We know this work is going to cause major disruptions to people traveling up and down I-5,” Kane said. “We suggest you carpool, use transit services and travel at off-peak times whenever possible.”
Kane advised, “The WSDOT website has several planning tools. As WSDOT says, ‘Know before you go.’ Check out the website, see where the traffic is, and what might be your best way to get where you’re going.”
So plan ahead if you use I-5 into Seattle starting in March of this year. If driving, alternates include taking 405 and using the lake bridges, HWY 99, or other north-south oriented surface streets and bridges across the Ship Canal. Sound Transit Light Rail or the bus systems are other great options.
For more information about this Revive I-5 project, visit the WSDOT project webpage.
